Rubber Soul: Gucci Unveils Recycled Sustainable Shoes for Summer

Gucci is expanding its luxury brand with a new “Sustainable Soles” line of footwear made with biodegradable plastic sourced from compost.

The $170 haute jelly shoes (dubbed the Marola) feature the brand's fiercely protected interlocking G's logo in contrast to the more subtle eco-friendly men's sneaker (see below) that will hit stores by the end of this month.

Both were designed by Frida Giannini, Gucci’s creative director, who has also expanded the brand's commitment to sustainable packaging.

And less than one year after setting an industry precedent with the launch of sustainable eyewear, Gucci and Safilo are also making a further commitment to environmental responsibility with new eco-friendly packaging. As part of a worldwide eco-friendly program designed to progressively reduce the company's impact on the environment, Gucci had first launched 100% recyclable packaging with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified paper in 2010 and will now extend this packaging towards its eyewear collections.

The modern and refined case will bear the Mobius loop, which is an internationally recognized symbol used to designate recyclable materials. Upon purchase, customers will receive an informational leaflet and a preaddressed envelope in order to send the case to a dedicated center where it may be recycled to make new products. Additionally, the FCS-certified paper shopping bag mirrors the House’s existing sustainable packaging. The new case is available at Gucci boutiques for men’s, women’s and children’s sunglasses, and from August through its worldwide distribution network for both optical frames and sunglasses.